Crying while smiling
by BumbleJay
Summary: The theroy of the Multiverse states that there is a never ending amount of universes. This is one of them. The story of Stephanie Brown: assassin extraordinar. Her friends, her family, her life. She just can't help but smile while the tears flow down her face, blood staining her hands her own and her enemys, her wound most likely fatel. The end of the start and the start of the end
1. AN

**A/N**

**Okay so I'm writing this at the very start. I've only done the first two chapters and have a base line for about the next five. I'll write one of these at the very end of the story as well.**

**I was talking to a friend and complaining of the lack of Stephanie Brown based stories that were, you know, nice. Where you look at Steph as a character and her up's and down's and not just the fun moments. I like the stories that show her growing as a character and having fun as well, 'because she's Steph.**

**So she told me that people like me are the reason why there are no stories out there. I complain about the lack while not adding my creativity to it. So I started this.**

**So here you are you creative wench (No I lie. I love you girl)**

**I'm not doing any notes during the story, it'll just be one long read, so here's my Authors note for the entire thing. Well, no, not really. I'll add a note at the end as well.**

**So the story's about Stephanie in an A.U where her parent's worked for the League of Shadows. Her father was the Cluemaster and her mother was the Crystal. She's born in to blood and death and assassin-ney goodness. It's about key, and not so key, factors in her life and the people she meets and how it all shapes her.**

**Hinn-Raven (Who I love. Go read her stories. They are just perfect!) if you read this, I'm sorry it sounds like your story. I had this idea for some other character for Young Justice. Well not the same idea. She was an Assassin for the Shadows and she was born to them, raised by them and served them. It was snips of her life and her interaction with the team. Then I read yours and I loved it so here we are.**

**Okay I love Tim/Steph so you may see some of that later. I like Steph/Jay but I see it as less likely. They are just too opposite. They'd be friends though and I factor that in. Or I will.**

**My favourite Catwoman is drawn by Dwayne Cooke. So I used her costume when I was writing her base chapter. I don't actually read that much Catwoman so I'm sorry to anyone who absolutely loves her.**

**While writing I switch between her being Steph and her being The Fallen Cherub (Her alias) a lot. At the start of a sentence it may be Steph but by end it may be Cherub. That's 'cause Steph's is who she is in life and Cherub is who she is while working. Steph is lovely and bubbly while Cherub is cold and calculating. So I'm just cleaning that up now.**

**I have giant time skips some times and other times it will only be a few days or maybe a few hours.**

**Some chapters will have a significant impact on her life and the story, while others will have nothing to do with anything at all. They are just fun.**

**Some chapters are really, **_**really**_** long. While others may only a few hundred words or maybe even twenty. I can't say, it has yet to be written.**

**Some are really well written, some suck very bad. I apologises for those in advance.**

**I add some little know characters (Even too I. I got them from googleing a variety of words.) They might have only appeared once or twice and I thought they might be a good little cameo. See if you can spot all of them. Some are just Oc's.**

**I have actually given her costumes (Yes, She had more than one) a lot of thought. I have written a few lines describing them all (well the one's I have thought of so far) and I need a little help with them. So I'm going to post a poll of them. I'll write the descriptions in there. It'll be for later in the story so there may be something's that you don't get **_**yet**_**. GO VOTE (Plus while I was researching them, I found out that there's this call thing that can make cotton bulletproof! That's what Stephanie uses)**

**Okay I'm also at this cross road. I can't decide whether to write the entire story in just one go, or do a sequel and possibly make this trilogy. I could start with her first twenty years then go on to her life after the first story once she's met everyone and had some life experience, and finally her later years, all grown up and mature, with her past ghost haunting her. (Yes I am putting thought into this. I've been thinking about it while writing the first two chapters.)**

**Okay final thing. I'm going to suggest some lovely Steph stories. Ones I love.**

**Shifting-truths: ****Holiday cheer and of Robins and Bat-barbecues**** and so much fun. Go read them they are connected and just fun. Oh and ****Can badgers look worried? ****That's so cute.**

**Obscure Omen: ****Stephanie Brown and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.**** Just all the Damian Steph love there (friendship love not love love)**

**BiteMeTechie: ****Solo ****shows her grow as a character and has some very good moments.**

**Matt the batman: All the Misfitsverse just go and read.**

**MaverickSlurpee: ****Bonding**** Title says it all. Bonding with the Batfam**

**Potatopeeler:**** Here we go again:**** All the Steph/Tim love.**

**Bookwormwithanattitude: ****Crisis of infinite batgirls**** the adventures of all three batgirls simultaneously, it's a lot of fun.**

**These are all lovely stories, so you should go read them. They are written beautifully and need more love. Steph needs more love in her life.**

**People if you want more Steph love, write a story. If everyone who loves her writes one story about her, whether it's only a one shot of about 100 words or a huge multi chapter one, there will be a hell of a lot more Steph love out there, and we all love that. Hey if you suck, just ask people for assistance. I'll help you even! I want to spread the Steph love. Reason: SHE'S BACK! WE GOT HER BACK!**

**Yours truly,**

**Bumblejay.**


	2. Chapter 1 Birth

On a hot summer's eve, hidden deeper in an underground complex then many thought possible, a mother screamed. Well she was not a mother yet, but she soon would be. The woman in question had many names but the simplest and most commonly used was Crystal Brown, a senior assassin for the league of shadows. She and her partner, Arthur Brown, were to be giving their child to the care of the league, they themselves having no patience to raise and train a young one.

The Midwife was little to no help in this endeavour, giving only the most base instructions she could on what was meant to happen tonight. But that was to be expected, children weren't the main concern of the league of assassins, being of use only in their later years, if they survived that is. But it was always good to have people that had no connection to the outside world; it made it much easier for them to disappear for long periods of time, without all the mess of family and secret identities to maintain. It also increased their loyalty to the league since they had no outside force confusing there thoughts.

"Push madam, push!" The voice of the nameless Midwife instructed, always polite to her seniors in the league. Grunting Crystal screamed out some choice words that were not really expectable in the presence of anyone, but where fine when you considered the pain she was going through at the moment as she lacked the necessary drugs to subside it.

With one final ear shattering scream that rung throughout the entire complex, a jagged jerk of her head that sent her blonde locks flying and the bludging of her deep blue eyes, a baby was born. In later years, the child would attract many eyes for the looks it held, but at the moment it was just a squish mess of fat, having only a small tuft of golden hair on its crown.

"Congratulations madam. It's healthy. Would you like to know the gender?" The midwife inquired as she gently rocked the screaming child in her arms.

"Yes" Crystal gasped as she panted widely in a feeble attempt to regain control. When one was a part of the league of assassins, one must always be ready to be attacked, even if one had just given birth to a baby.

"It's a beautiful baby girl. She will make a fine addition to the league within a few years I'm sure. Would you like to be the one to name her or would you rather the league do it?" The veiled midwife asked, her green eyes meeting Crystals for the first time, if only for a second before she flinched away. With a hint of hesitation she added in a somewhat grave voice "Some find it easier to sever the connection if they are not the one naming the child."

If Crystal Brown heard her words over her own panting, she didn't show it. "You say she will be a fine warrior one day, yes?"

"Yes Madam, she has strong arms and perfect vision. She might be the strongest child of the year I have delivered" The praise was true, even if a little of the top, the child certainly had strong arms for a newborn, as well as having perfectly fine vision.

"Then my little Stephanie will rise in our society. She will be the best, the uncrowned queen of death" Crystal proclaimed. Arthur Brown, who had been quietly standing off to the side, watching for any who might intrude on them as well as being cautions as to not invoke his wife's wrath at this sentimental moment, stepped forward, placing a wreath of finely spun silver embedded with purple gems on the baby's head at his wife's words. Grinning madly, Crystal waved the midwife off with the child she would most likely never see again leaving her only a single family heirloom as evidence that she did, in fact, have parents. This was the law of the league.

That night the child completely disappeared. Young Stephanie Brown was flown half-way across the world, and was handled by over a dozen different people with variations of care, put on heavy lock down the moment she found a semi-permanent residence. Within the first 5 years of the child's life she would learn how to kill someone twice her size while barely making a sound, how to use pressure points on the human body, which poisons would kill or paralyse, there antidotes and how to apply them. She would learn how to slow her heart so that it barley bet within the year that followed that, and by the next year how to beat up to 25 men simultaneously without being hit in return once, and by the age of 8 she would be one of the most deadliest children in the world. But all that had yet to come. At that moment in time she was a baby being removed from her parents and thrust into a life filled with nothing but death without her consent, not that she could have given it either way but that in turn would come back to bite those who trained her.

Thus began the story of a child born for blood. A warrior formed in battle with ruthless ambitions. Or at least was meant to be ruthless, sometimes things don't turn out the way they were meant to. Stephanie Brown, the deadly child, the fallen angel, the dead queen, the most loveable person in the world. This is a story of theft, death, knives, poison, smiles, betrayal, life, hope, waffles, friendship, love and addictions but most of all this is the story of a girl born perfectly attuned to a world she didn't belong to. The story of Stephanie Brown the Fallen Cherub, the deadliest assassin The League Of Shadows has ever and possible will ever know, and how she came from fighting for them to fighting against them. Welcome to her life.

Death count: 0


	3. Chapter 2 Fallen Cherub

There were three ways to gain a name. The most common for people just joining the League was to choose their own name. But for people born and/or raised by the League it was usually one of the other two. You were given your name because you possessed certain qualities or the name is given in mockery.

But for Stephanie it was a mixture of all three.

She was only 5 years old. Her hair had grown out into golden curls and her eyes where big and blue and so innocent. Her smile could light up any room and all the people around her where drawn to her and her innocents. Even though she had top marks in gaining information from a less then cooptative source.

Her fellow classmates had dubbed her Angel because she carried that sort of peaceful aura. But the name was not given out of love or respect. No. Her classmates despised her for these qualities, that she could remain innocent while they were corruptive, it was like she thought herself above them. Stephanie herself hated the name. It her mind it made her weak and an easy target. She was always the one picked for tasting the food at the start of each meal, and had already been poisoned numerous times because of it.

The day she stopped letting them push her around and attempt to kill her, had started like any other day.

She awoke with the twenty or so other students in a crowded a room, with simple cots of bedding lining the walls. Showered with the other students, was harassed, tested the food to make sure it wasn't poisons, raced to the garden to acquire some frankincense, the porridge had a parsnip-_like__taste_ and a mouse-_like_ odor to it which indicated that it was Hemlock, _Pru's_ preferred poison, cured herself and returned to the dining room to eat the non-poisoned food, then headed off to training.

Stephanie was rather good at hand to hand fighting. She wasn't like most of the other students, who were about the kill; she was about the thrill of the fight. She loved it. And not the hurtey, painful part, no, she loved just the thrill of the dodge. Landing a blow in a skilful way that her partner did not see coming. It was all so much fun!

They often had a rotation of teachers, never the same one twice. Some of the older students had handlers that appeared every once and a while, but apart from that; nothing. Stephanie was too young to have her own handler yet, but she had high hopes for the future.

Their current teacher was a man in his late thirties, yearly forties with silver hair and a little goatee. His eyes where hard and unfeeling, his voice gruff as if it hadn't been used in years. He gave no name just demanded to be called master. Which was common enough.

He demanded they get in pairs and be prepared to bleed. They where going to be training with knives.

"Knives" He said. "Are an assassins best friend. Easily hidden, quick to the draw and easy to discared. They are small, unclumsy, faster then a sword and quieter that a gun. Try not to kill each other" With that the students paiered off. Going for people that where eaither weak then them or would not try to kill them. As usual no one approached Pru for fear of death and no one approached Stephanie for fear of invoking Pru's wrath. Life sucked.

"You're with me Angel" Pru said as her smile grew wider. Stephanie simple nodded and approached the knife rack. She picked a simple knife that had a nice weight, fit her hand and would not break.

Pru being Pru picked the very best of all the knives. The sharpest, strongest and most lavishing of all. Stephanie did not show it but she was internally pissing herself.

"Come on Angel. I'll go easy on you. I _promise_" the way she said it made Stephanie believe that she did not intend to go easy on her at all. In fact the complete and other opposite.

Her suspesion was confermid when Pru went straight for her jugular. And she did not let up for a moment. She was vicosly pushing forward. Attacks coming faster and closer, never stopping. No rest for the wicked, after all.

Finaly after doudging all the attacks, Pru landed a strike. It wasn't on any main veins or ateris, but it still hurt like hell.

Falling down with a cry of pain, Stephanie dropped her knife. The smile on Pru's face grew in size as she leered over Stephanie. Master would not come to her help. Pru would be scoldered if she killed Stephanie, but not punished. Stepanie was on her own.

Defeat. It was not a word used much in the League of Shadows but Stephanie felt defeated. She was wounded, grated not enough to kill her; but defently slow her down.

The only question now was whether to let Pru kill her without so much of a whimper, and go out with dignity. Kicking and screaming and pulling her down to hell as well? After barley any though over it, Stephanie kicked Pru in her stomach.

Hell it was.

Pru doubled over gasping for air. Stephanie launched towards her fallen knife, intent to kill clear in her eyes. Her hands grabbed desperately for the handle before Pru regained her composure. Pru won out.

Air flowed back into her lungs and the pain subsided. With a new flash of anger, she launched herself at Stephanie. Her boot crushed Stephanie's hand before she could grab the knife.

"You're going to pay for that Angel" She snarled, eyes wide with madness.

"Not as much as you Prudence" Stephanie spat. Prudence wasn't Pru's actual name, but it pissed her off when one of the instructors called her that by accident.

With that sounded suspiciously like a lion's growl, Pru kicked Stephanie in the stomach.

By now, the other students had noticed the fight between the two girls and where placing bets. Most rooting for Pru, but the few that knew her rooted for Stephanie.

With a viscous yowl Pru lunged at Stephanie. The fight between the two girls was a mix of up's and down's. Sometimes Pru gained the upper control. Sometimes Stephanie. Neither could hold it for long though.

Finally the after about 3 hours of this, Master called a stop.

"Angel! Pru! Enough already!" He snapped, breaking the two waring girls apart.

"My name is not Angel!" Stephanie snapped, glaring at master. He only cocked an eye brow at her. Slowly it dawned on her that she had just insulted a senior member of the League of Shadows.

"You got spunk kid. Don't let them beat it out of you."

Stephanie nodded viciously at his retreating figure.

"Well, looks like the Angel isn't so holly anymore" Pru snarked. Stephanie turned her glare on the Pru, who seemed to shrink under her gaze.

"Never said I was. Now stop calling me Angel already!"

"Well what should we call you then, _Angel?"_

"As you said. I ain't no Angel anymore. Call me Fallen Cherub" Stephanie said with the biggest smile.

….

….

"That's kind of lame."

Thus began a friendenemyship between the two girls. Neither would ever let up and neither would admit the respect they held for the other. Thus is the life of an assassin.

Death count: 0


	4. Chapter 3 First Kill

Up until the day it happened, Stephanie thought she could do it with ease. Much like when people say they wouldn't freeze up when a car comes crashing towards them, but do when it actually happens, Stephanie froze up the first time she was to kill. Being trained to be an emotionless killer and actually being one are two very different things, and Stephanie found this out the hard way.

She was 7 years old, top of all her classes, and already sought after as an apprentice by many seasoned assassins, although she wouldn't be able to take any of them up until her teen years. Her assignment was simple. Kill one Bethany Lambert, a woman in her late fifties who ran a small drug operation on the outskirts of Metropolis. Normally the League didn't interfere with drug trafficking unless they had some ultimate goal, but Bethany's crew had been selling to a school, and that was something not appreciated by the League. While at that moment in time, it was impossible to stop idiotic kids from doing drugs, most schools had only a handful, while the school Bethany supplied to had only a handful of kids not doing drugs.

On top of that a few children had disappeared from the school in resent years. Some of the other members of the League, the one's that gathered information only, had found out that Bethany had sold them in to child prostitution and slavery. A very stupid move, for that was what attracted the League in the first place.

And thus Stephanie was called in. Her supervisor, a woman called The Weeping Willow in her prime, now just Willow, had volunteered Stephanie for it. She seemed to have a large amount of confidence in the child's skill, and up until the time it was needed, Stephanie did to. So off they had gone. Just the two of them from whatever third world country the League had them stored in to Metropolis. The flight was long, and Stephanie had barley gotten a moment to herself, as Willow insisted on going over everything one final time.

When they arrive in Metropolis they rented a cheap motel room under the guise of a grandmother and her adopted granddaughter, as Stephanie was clearly causcian and Willow was of Asian descent. Once darkness had fallen and they were sure the super friends (Read: superman and any who work to protect the weak) were otherwise occupied, Willow and Stephanie ceased to exist and The Weeping Willow, now an elderly woman, and The Fallen Cherub, a child of barley 7 years of age, emerged.

The Willow was dressed in a slightly modified version of her old costume. The mask still dotted with green flecks that resembled leaves on the side, but the suit was much looser. In her youth she had worn an almost skin tight black body suit, made of the lightest material on the planet. Now it hung loosely off her, and had padding in some areas. While everyone hates to admit it, age weakens us all.

This wasn't the first mission The Fallen Cherub had been on by far. She had stolen, kidnapped, extorted, threatened and beaten her way to the top of her class, after all. But her costume had been modified all the same. She still wore a white full face mask, rimmed with purple, or eggplant as she enjoyed calling it, and her suit was still pitch black. While not as tight as The Weeping Willows had once been, it still clung to her body in some places while draping in other areas such as the hands. The reason it draped around the hands now, instead of clinging like it did, was for she now had 4 razor sharp, poisoned kunai sheathed on each side. Her pants also had a small rip on both sides just above her knee, although unnoticed because of her black leggings, Cherub could find it without even looking and pull out a short sword from each side, also poisoned.

Assassins could put the boy scouts to shame with how prepared they were and Cherub was a trained assassin, even if she had yet to acquire a kill count. She was prepared.

Under the cover of darkness, the two had snuck out of the motel they were renting for the night. Both young and old moving with the exact same grace. A true testament to the League's training that a seasoned assassin and a child killer moved with the exact same flow as each other.

The two, lacking any powers or transportation, moved across the roof tops with the ease of cats. They were silent, shadows moving with the wind. Having gone over this many times in her own training, and while training others, The Weeping Willow had rented a room on the other side of town. It would be impossible to link Stephanie and Willow to The Fallen Cherub and The Weeping Willow.

For what would have been a 3 hour run for most, was a twenty minute run for the two assassins. The rooves allowing for faster travel then foot or car, as they could skip over huge areas with ease. The moment of truth was coming, and yet Stephanie still felt like it would be over quickly.

As silent as possible the two crept towards the house. Being The Cherub's mission and not The Weeping Willow's, Willow stayed outside, only opening the window for Cherub to enter. She wasn't sure but Willow might have been smiling at her. Full face mask's make it impossible to tell.

With a quick nod, Cherub entered the dwelling residence of her target and crept to her room. From the Intel the information brokers had given her, it was on the second floor, second door, on the left corridor, right hand side. She was mere moments away from killing someone as they slept, and yet still no emotion stirred in her.

The door opened without a creak, stupid mistake, Stephanie had purposely made her door creaky so she could tell if anyone was coming in. Her steps made no sound as she walked towards her target. Her breath silent, still no emotion.

When she came to the side of the bed, she pulled out her dagger. Willow had told her that her mother had left her a single wreath spun from silver. Finding no use for the item, Stephanie had learnt how to smelt her own weapons. After many trials and errors, she had finally learnt the craft. She had pulled the gems, which had turned out to be coloured diamonds, from the wreath, then smelted it down to its base materials. She had then crafted a dagger and imbedded a single diamond into the hilt, and kept the rest of a latter date. Sure that the feature would come in handy one day.

Finally as the execution of Bethany drew nearer, Cherub's breath started to pick up and hitch. Her dagger held to her targets throat and-

Nothing. No jerk of her hand to end her, to stabbing down, not even a bashing from the hilt. She was frozen. As if in a trance she suddenly realized what she was about to do. As she pulled back, a hand shot out and grabbed her.

Looking down Cherub saw that Bethany was not asleep as she had first though, but instead awaking and faking it.

"You tripped a wire sweetie."

There had been no mention of wires form the information broker. Swearing she attempted to break the hold Bethany had on her, to no avail. It was iron clad.

Bethany's other hand had drawn a gun, from where Cherub-No Stephanie- had no idea, but drawn none the less. A second ticked by and everything went in slow motion. Quicker than a striking cobra Stephanie had changed the hand which was holding the dagger and slashed it across Bethany's throat. A chocked gasp for air and then silence. Bethany laid still forever more.

With blood on her gloved hands, Stephanie left the house. She spoke not a word to Willow as they returned to their lodging. Nor said anything about what it felt like to kill to her eager classmates, as she was the first to take a life.

Stephanie Brown had blood on her hands, and it would never wash off. But like many new assassins she knew what she felt at that moment in time would disappear, after all there were hundreds of people working for the League, and none of them ever complained about it, and after all, she was no better than them.

Stephanie Brown had killed someone for the first time at the age of 7 years 4 months and 16 days. She had no taste for it. None what so ever.

Kill count: 1


	5. Chapter 4 Bat's, bird's and sloppyness

For the most basic of human rights war had been waged multiple times. The right of free choice. Weather it's not being forced to work (Read: slavery), the right to vote, the right to be independent or the right to just live, war was waged. But that was for the masses, whole countries and races. Stephanie didn't have people willing to fight for her freedom, and she was a good solider, loyal to her people, the assassins of the League Of Shadows.

By the age of thirteen her kill count had reached well into the double digits, closing into the triple ones fast. And this had not gone unnoticed by the heads of the League. Both the eyes of Ebeneezer Darrk and Talia Al Ghul had been caught by the young killer. And when it came time for her to take a proper master, one with the time to train her in his or her art, Stephanie was _assigned_ to Talia Al Ghul's personal court. She had no say in the matter. Talia had asked for her, and so she was given.

And this was why you would find her currently in Gotham city dressed in her Fallen Cherub uniform. The design hadn't changed much since the death of Bethany Lambert. A few more weapons had been added, and on the back a pair of Kawaii wings were stitched into the design, eggplant of 'course. Her face was still hidden behind the full face white mask, with the addition to having eggplant circles where the eyes were, but now her golden locks fell freely down her back, as opposed to tied in a tight bun.

Being in Gotham set Stephanie's nerves on edge a little. The tales the elder assassins spun of a man dressed as a bat that attacked criminals in the dead of night were humorous when told in the safety of the court, but being in the domain of the bat was something else entirely. The entire city seemed to be holding its breath as cherub caused a ruckus.

She was not doing anything flashy or large like how some people did it *cough* Deathstroke*cough* But enough to draw the bat out. She had left a serious of dead bodies in her wake that would lead him right to her. In a very unoriginal way she had set up at the docks. But in a stroke of genius, if she did say so herself, her base of operation was under the docks. In a small cave. A Batcave if you would. Stephanie quite liked that, and remembered to store it away for future use.

Batman and robin, his second robin if Cherub was to believe her personal information broker, which she did, had been hunting her for a week, and had a few _very_ close calls in that time. But Cherub was good at avoiding people. She was an assassin after all. But tonight her Lady needed the bat and bird occupied. So the clues led straight to her.

She knew Batman was good, but not quite how good till he appeared right behind, without tripping any wires or alerting her at all.

"You got sloppy."

Startled she gasped and spun around. Her eyes widening under her mask as she looked up into the looming face of Batman, her Lady's lover. He stood possible three times her high, clad in complete black with what appeared to be a permanent scowl on his face.

Swallowing a lump in her throat she regained her composure as best she could, rather hard when you had the looming figure of the Batman in front of you.

"Really? Hmmm I've been trying to gain your attention for the last week. I had to get sloppy to get you here Doll" Her mask had a built in voice changer, which altered her voice from the squeaky sound of an adolescent, to the pleasant and soothing sound of a mature woman. This would fool batman for maybe a minute or 2. If she was lucky.

"Why would you be after his attention? He's old!" The juvenile voice of one Robin called as he came soaring from behind her, attempting to catch her off guard. But with Batman in front of her she was on high alert and heard him before he even launched himself at her.

"That may be true, but I have a thing for older men" She rebutted catching his leg before it collided with her, a smirk placed on her face at the shock present on his.

With the same quickness she held, he replaced his shock with a cocky grin. Stephanie imminently decided she liked him. He broke her hold on his leg with speed most wouldn't be able to keep up with. But she could.

When he came in for another attack she grabbed him by the arm and hurled him into his mentor….. Or at least where he had been. During the brief scuffle with the bird, Batman had disappeared. Her veins ran cold with fear. If even a ¼ of the stories that were told in the League where true, he could be anywhere and she was as good as dead.

But no attack came. No launching from the ceiling, no attack from behind. Nothing.

"He's not here, if that's what you're wondering. We knew this was a trap, or more accurately a distraction" Robin stood right in front of her looking rather pleased with himself. She might have to rethink that bit about liking him.

"Crap" her voice so soft it was barely audible. Her hand shot to her ear piece to radio i-

Robin grabbed her arm, stopping her from alerting her Lady.

"Sorry Angle. Can't let you alert your bosses to my boss" He went in for a punch, trying to end it before it really started, by Cherub was faster. She grabbed his fist a moment before impact. Twisting his arm around his head she kicked him in his rear end into the wall.

He caught himself just in time to lessen the impact it made on him. Grinning he turned around.

"This, this might just be fun."

Okay, now she was angry. He wasn't taking her seriously! He thought she was just some two time crook hired to keep the bat occupied! Oh how wrong he was.

Using all her training she launched at him. The battle that followed was a mess of strikes and blocks, dodges and rushes. By the end of it both where badly wounded and needing medical assistance. But neither where giving an inch.

"Okay" Robin gasped in between breaths. "You're good."

"Nah duh Boy Wonder" Cherub gasped equally out of breath.

Robin grinned and launched at her again. Cherub was having no of that. Ducking under his punch, her hand fisted and faster than what Robin could process, she bought it to his chin.

If it had been anyone else they most likely would have been knocked out by that punch. But Robin stood tall, if not a little wobbly.

"Okay, where did you learn to fight like that?" Robin asked as he came back one more time, staggering slightly. His hands grabbing her damaged mask and pulling it off.

As he pulled it off her, his eyes bulged. He had though her in her late teen or possible early twenties, but she appeared to be his age, if not younger.

"You're a kid!" He exclaimed, guarded dropping for only a moment. But that was enough. With that small gap in his defence, Cherub striked. Her knee colliding with his stomach. Robin launched down, winded.

"So are you. They call me The Fallen Cherub, I'm an apprentice assassin for the League of Assassins. Don't forget my name cutie. You're going to be hearing it a lot more" Cherub slammed her foot into hit jaw, breaking a few bones and shattering a few teeth.

Later Jason Todd would awaken in the Batcave, the camera in his mask wiped. He couldn't recall exactly what had happened but he told Batman she was a girl in her early teens possible 13 or 14 with blonde hair and rich Blue eyes. She called herself the Fallen Cherub. And she'd be back.

Kill count: 79


	6. Chapter 5 Cats

Under, over, duck, flip, dodge, strike, launch, knife, death. The man's blood pooled around her feet, his body lay dead at her feet. His name unknown to her, his face to badly cut up to be identifiable. All in all, a good night's work.

As Cherub wiped her knife of blood, a flash of light appeared in the sky, a dark splot that had a somewhat resemblance to a bat appeared in the centre. The batsignal. Those pesky bats sure did love to theme everything up. Batcar, batcopter, batarang, batsignal, batcave, bathound, batbra, bat-toilet paper, batunderwear, batstereo-system, bat real-estate broker. Okay she may have been exaggerating a little, but the scary thing was she was pretty sure the bird boy wore batunderwear. Or did. Her personal information broker had told her he'd gone to the big city in the sky. Shame really. For a goody two shoes, he was rather cute. Even if she'd only met him that once or twice (Read: 15)

Grinning wickedly Cherub exited the building that the traitor had been 'living' in. Wrinkling her nose in disgust she stepped over the rotting food and a dead dog. Poor fellow. Even if her target hadn't been on her hit list, she would have killed him just for treating the poor animal so curly. I mean really, who kills a dog?

Cherub was less than enthusiastic to encounter the bats. She'd heard he'd been PMSing since the death of his bird, and had been taking it out on the bad guys. So instead of strolling through the city as her usual psychopathic self, she stripped her uniform off storing it in a back pack, eggplant of course, changed into a spare set of clothes and left as Stephanie Brown, her absolute favourite alias.

On occasion, when called for, she went by a verity of names. Alice Coster, Billie Lost, Abigail Morrows, Sally Holster but her favourite name remand the name her mother had given her. Stephanie Brown. She had her personal information broker look into her parents on her last birthday, when she had moved to Lady Talia's court. There had been several different Browns working for the League at her time of birth. One had stood out the most. The Cluemaster and his wife The Crystal. Arthur and Crystal Brown. They were dead now. Arthur had been killed on assignment, the details unknown, and Crystal had overdosed not long after. All very sad. But a name in the League wasn't that important, it was more code name and reputation.

See there's a key to surviving in the League. Impress but don't threaten. If you're not that good there's a chance you'll be killed. If you're too good you might be taken out to avoid turning on the League. So while one will change their alias hundreds of time to avoid being connected to any crimes, one rarely changed their code name at all. Unless it was really stupid. Or they were on the run.

Cherub used Stephanie way too much, but she loved it. She was so roped in that even this little freedom made her happy, and she was not about to relinquish it. So maybe she shouldn't have been surprised when she was tracked down. And maybe threating the person smart enough to track her down with sharp pointing things wasn't a good idea, after all, Stephanie was good at covering her tracks so who ever found her had to be good as well.

The death of the Leagues traitor had been but a few hours prior. His corpse probable found by then, after all she hadn't really gone to the trouble of hiding it or anything and they had made a ruckus. She had actually finished way ahead of schedule, so no one would be in Gotham to pick her up for about a day, and she couldn't radio in that she'd finished early what with radio silent and all. So she had a day off. Stephanie loved days off. She was thinking about going to the movies when a voice called to her from above.

"Hello kitten" Instincts instantly kicked in. Her hand moved slightly to her closest weapon, a dagger. Her eyes roamed the skyline till she caught sight of her admired.

Catwoman.

Her Ladies rival in the love for Batman. She probable had the exact same type of cooties her lady had. Yuck (Hey she's thirteen, boys are gross)

Quick as lightning the famous Catwoman whip had stolen her dagger from her.

"Hey!" Cherub interjected.

"Bad girl" Catwoman said as she seemed to _slither_ to the ground. "I'm not here to harm you kitten. I want to help."

"Help?" Cherub's eye brows were way passed her hair line now.

"Yes help, kitten. See I got a friend that needs help."

Cherub actually snorted. She didn't mean too. But Catwoman was so precious thinking that she, a deadly, deadly assassin, would 'help'. She wanted help for someone else to boot.

"Something funny Kitten?" Catwoman cocked her head as soon as she saw the amusement on Cherub's face.

"I'm not in the business of helping people Ms….."

"Call me Selina kitten, and my sources say different. Little Ping in Tibet. You took her farther out after you found he had been less fatherly with her then is expectable. Lian Ross in Australia, you returned her to her mother, Gabriel Scott in Hub city was rescued from a child prostitute ring. You might be a killer, but you're as sweet as honey kitten" Cherub had started glaring at Selina after only a few words. She knew way too much about her. She should probable kill her, but then again…..

"What do you want help with?"

Selina's smile was so victories that Cherub just wanted to leave her there and then, but Stephanie wanted to help. She liked helping.

"A friend of mine has gotten caught in this bad, bad crowd. She needs some help getting out and disappearing for good. What do you say?"

"…..Who's your friend?"

"Her name's Holly Robinson. She's only a year or two older than you are. She's smart. Most of the time. We use to work together back in my street days."

"You were a hooker?" Stephanie could not believe what she was hearing. Oh Lady Talia was going to have a field day when she learned about this.

"Nothing wrong with working the streets. But I found something I liked better," Stephanie decided right there and then that she liked Selina. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to take it. Stephanie would have to look her up next time she was in Gotham.

"I want to help."

"But?"

"….But my lady would never allow it. She's not exactly your biggest fan you know, and she'll know if I'm there rather than doing my job" Stephanie did want to help. She had a fondness for those in their teens or younger in bad situations they had no control over. Wonder why?

"What's your name, kitten?" Catwoman finally asked. Cherub had been waiting for it since they first met. Everyone wants to know who their working with.

"Cherub."

"No, your real name?"

"…Stephanie."

"Well Steph I think that you and I could help each other. I need some help with my friend. And you crave some sense of freedom. I might be able to help you there," Steph…. Why Steph? What was wrong with Stephanie? Did Selina not like her name? Did she deem it to long? What?

"Fine I'll help, but I can't as Cherub. My Lady would not approve."

"That's why the fallen angles becoming a god" Selina's grin spread across her entire face and Stephanie was a little scared.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Stephanie was….. Unconfutable to say the least. She was used to skin tight cloths, but her clothing took up everything. No weakness, no exposure. Even the back of her neck was padded. But what Selina had dressed her in was a little more exposing.

Selina herself wore a skin tight cat suit with overly large pointed goggles and a cat cowl. The zipper on her suit was _huge_ and right there. It would be so easy to zip it down, and she was fairly sure Selina didn't wear a bra. But when zipped up to the tippy top, it gave her a turtle neck. Stephanie was less lucky.

For some unknown reason Selina kept a suit in the exact size of Stephanie. It was black, as all good burglar outfits should be, 'cause you know the villain who wears glowing green sparkles is _so_ going to get caught, but it was split in _two_. Cherub had been taught that the best outfits for her line of work were one piece on top or bottom. It protected everything then. But nope. Selina had told her to shut up and put the rest on when she voiced her discomfit. It did not have an under piece so most of Stephanie's stomach was exposed. The mask was small and only covered the top part of her face. Her golden hair tied into a low hanging ponytail. The mask was black with golden Egyptian eye trimmings. And cat ears.  
Selina named her Bast.

"Selina-"

"We're on the clock Kitten. Call me Catwoman" But she just told her to call her- oh never mind.

"Catwoman why is half my stomach exposed? Wouldn't it be easy to get knifed or shot there?"

"For someone with your skills? Psh. I've heard that you can take out 30 armed men without getting hit once. As long as you keep that skill level you'll be fine."

"I was trained to never to get cocky whe-"

"You're not. You know that you'll be in danger, and you know that you may get hurt. You're not cocky. I however have heard the tails of the Fallen Cherub's fighting skills and have complete and other confidence in you," Catwoman gave Bast a wink then pulled her goggles down. "Now, let's go have some fun!" It was official. Catwoman was insane.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

It had taken over 2 hours to find the correct docks. As Bast skidded to a halt she ponded over why Gotham would have so many docks, even if it was an Island city, and why, after having so, so many villains using them as bases, they had yet to improve the security at them? It confused her to no end.

"Okay Kitten there seems to be a lot of people with guns down there. Let's see if we can't fix that," Stephanie was impressed by Catwoman's planning. She'd heard her Lady complaining about how her love could even look at someone so idiotic and rash. But Selina didn't seem that way at all. She planned this, and Bast could see her picking off the edges. She watched their numbers slowly dwindled, without any assistance from the young assassin.

Bast was getting inpatient with being left on the side lines. So using the training she had received her entire life, she attacked. Catwoman didn't seem to kill, so she avoided taking any life as well. She moved in quick, stopping her target from calling for help and disabled them.

Bast wasn't sure how many she had taken down, but after what felt like her hundredth, the alarm went off. One of the victims had been found.

"Wonder who got sloppy," Catwoman said as she slipped up onto the roof next to Bast. Shrugging Bast returned her gaze to the rest of the guards. "Hmmm," within a blink on an eye Catwoman was gone. Bast couldn't even see her moving down there and after only a minute or two she was back on the roof. With an add addition.

"I ain't scared of no crazy cat bitches!"

"Well hello to you too honey. I need a little bit of advice. See my partner here thinks we should just kill our way to our goal. But I rather do things a little subtler. I want to avoid your deaths. But if my partner here wins. Well" Catwoman moved her head to his ear and whispered ever so softly and innocently. "You'll be the first to go."

At the sight of the short sword Bast had pulled out the man visibly paled. He started blubbering about how his boss had hired the best assassin in the world (a fact Cherub knew to be incorrect) and how he'd shot this person, sold that person some drugs and how penguin was plotting this and blah blah blah.

"Not what we're after. Me and Bast are after this little girl who stole from me. Apparently you boys got to her first. We want her back," Catwoman all but growled.

"I ain't heard of no kid! Leave me alone cat bitch!" He screamed.

"Oh what a naughty mouth you have there. Bast if you will," Stepping forward Bast placed her swords to his throat.

He gulped and blood was drawn. "Okay! Okay!" He sighed. "Boss man's got her over at his main building in the Diamond district. I ain't lying girly."

"I know" Catwoman said as she dropped her guest from the roof. He landed with a _Thump_ of the two story building. He'd live, not well mind, but he'd still live.

"Come on kitten. We've got a clue," Catwoman said with a quick glance at the body on the ground, as the other occupants of the warehouse surrounded the body, before turning, running and jumping off the building.

Bast herself speared a look at the body lying on ground before hurrying after Selina to the skyline of Gotham.

Gotham was beautiful. It was impossible to deny that under neither all the blood stained streets and filthy grottoes that she didn't sparkle like a gem. And Stephanie took it all in as she and Selina flew across her roof tops.

Faintly she could hear the lull of jazz music and the soothing sound of people going about their business…..Even if that business did happen to be murder, rape and/or theft. Hey, Gotham was still Gotham, even if she did shine.

Stephanie lost her senses in the, now, familiar streets. Even though apart of her was keeping track of the silent cat in front of her, her mind was wandering. Being a part of the League of Shadows meant that Stephanie had heightened senses and could detect the little things that most people wouldn't. Like right at that moment her mind was focusing on a man who was being butchered. She was too far away to be able to do anything, even if she wanted to. Stephanie was an assassin. A heartless, cold blooded assassin….. And assassins didn't care about other people.

"Kitten, mind on me," Catwoman called out from in front of her.

They had been running across the Gotham skyline for a while now, and had crossed multiple districts to get to the Diamond districts from there start point. There final stop was in front of a rather nice building. It had a front door and a counter with a receptionist who had a pretty flower dress on. It also had nine armed guards, heat sensors, automatic lock down, a multitude of vents that could pump poisons gas in, motion sensors and about a dozen almost-impossible-to-hack cameras. Who the hell was this guy and why was he not one of her contacts in Gotham?

"Salvatore Maroni" Catwoman all but snarled.

Mobster extraordinaire. The man famous for creating your friendly neighbourhood schizophrenic psychopath, Two-Face.

She'd heard of him. Or more accurately she'd been warned off of him. He did not play well with others and even less so with assassins. So being one of the most unrecognizably recognizable assassins in the world may not have been the best thing at the moment.

Cherub was second guessing herself. After all she'd never met this girl and her lady, the one she was sworn to serve, did not like Catwoman one bit. A few more thoughts in that direction and her feet where itching to turn and take her away. Cherub would play no part in this.

But Bast would.

Stephanie would.

She enjoyed this. The feel of assisting people was a rush that she had never, _ever _felt before. It was more exhilarating than dodging bullets, more griping then flying through the sky and so satisfying. Stephanie was addicted.

So she stayed. She glared down at the building and found multiple points of entry. She saw the weakness through assassin's eyes but applied it through heroic actions. It was the most alive she had ever felt. She hoped it never ended.

"Catwoman. There's a weakness in the left hand corner in about 1.48 minutes. The camera doesn't reach there and the guard will walk past it and not return for 5.14 minutes, they are lacking any sensors there as well. It's the best choice with the highest succession. It's a blind spot," She rambled as her gaze never left the area.

"Perfect Kitten. But we will need a hostage. The receptionist maybe….."

"No she is skilled in a verity of martial arts."

"How do you know?"

"The way she's carrying herself. Uppity but not self-righteous. She can handle her own in a fight. My suggestion? That guard," She pointed down to the largest guard, with possible 150 pounds on the two girls, combined.

"Him?" Catwoman inquired staring at him. He'd be easy for her to take down, but might make a noise.

"Yes him. His weight would slow him down sufficiently so we would have the advantage. But he may put up a fuss…."

Bast turned to look at Catwoman and saw a gigantic grin on her face. "What?"

"Nothing Kitten. You just have taken to this so well..."

"I just adapted the methods we use in assassinations to not kill. It's rather easy really," She shrugged and started the countdown for when the best point of entry would be open. 21,20,19,18,17…..

"Whatever you say Kitten, you just seem ha-"

"Time to move Catwoman," Bast cut her off, staring as the guard of their choosing moved into sight.

The two dived bombed him. Attacking from different angles that would incapacitate him quickly and silently, but still allow them to interrogate him to find the whereabouts of Holly. They'd be able to give the dynamic duo a run for their money. Well if the bird was still flying that is.

Bast covered his mouth as she jabbed her leg into his side, hearing the tell-tale _CRACK _of a rib braking. Her mouth twitched at the corners in a very sadistic way.

Bast, using all of her years training as an assassin, building up all that muscle, dragged his body behind cover and out of view of any other wondering guards, hand still placed firmly on his mouth.

"Hello Hun. You and your boss have taken something that I want," Catwoman said as she crawled on him, Bast's hand moving ever so slightly away so that he could speak softly.

"We ain't taken nothing from you Catchick," Surprisingly he did not spite the words, he was actually really calm about it even with the busted rib.

"Oh but you have," Catwoman said in a very coy voice as she learned over him. "Her names Holly Robinson and a little birdie told me she was being kept here."

"Listen Catbroad, if I sing it'll be my head on the line, so I think I'll keep my trap shut," What was this guy? A gangster form 1920's?

"Well if you don't 'sing' your head will be on the line any way."

"Nah uh. I know killing ain't in your repertoire."

"Spell that," Bast stated staring at him.

"Cat you ain't one to work with others. Who's the kid?"

"Bast. And killing is in her '_repertoire'_ among other, just as painful things."

"Yeah? This kid looks like she ain't hit puberty yet. She's going to need to do some growing before she's scary."

Grinning Bast learned in, letting all her training as an experienced killer take over. Her smile was gruesome and blood thirsty, with a hint of insanity mix in for good measure. Her eyes under her mask where slits, staring into his soul. Her body language spoke volumes. The tilt in her head, how far apart her legs where and the way her body just, sat. It all screamed insanity.

"I can do far worse things to you then your boss. The question is do you want to give us the information we need now, or after. Then get your bosses tip as well. Your choice."

The man, who had been sitting quiet comfortable, visible paled as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Stuttering a bit he answered.

"Basement. She's with Kevin Ro'Mcall," He rasped before Bast slammed his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Ro'Mcall. Oh he's a bad man. We need to get their now," Catwoman growled as she leapt off of the unconscious man and seemed to teleport into the building.

"How to the hell does she do that?" She was either asking no one, talking to herself again or asking the unconscious man. None where really that good.

Shrugging, possible in answer to her own question, Bast took off after Catwoman. For some reason she wasn't as fast or slippery as Catwoman, even with her years of training. But she kept up with her all the same.

They crept along the hallways, avoiding prying eyes of the workers, security cameras and motions sensors.

Finally Bast couldn't take any more and had to ask. "Do you know where the basement is?"

You could actually see the dust start flying when she came to a halt.

"Not really," she answered scratching her head. "I didn't really plan anything it was a spur of the moment thing."

Bast pinched her bridge, something that is incredibly hard when one is wearing a mask over there face.

"Okay give me a moment," she disappeared behind a corridor in search of the pretty little cleaner she'd saw only moments ago.

She might have been Hispanic. Maybe Latino Bast couldn't be certain. But this place was just filled with stereotypes, so…..

"Disculpe señorita," when the cleaners head turned Bast grabbed her around the neck. "Excusa Parece que he conseguido un poco perdido. ¿Podría usted por favor que me señale en la dirección del sótano?"

"S-sí, señora. Sólo vuelve por donde has venido a la izquierda y seguir adelante hasta que usted llegue a un ascensor. Debe haber una caja de la escalera no más a la izquierda a partir de ahí. Desciende hacia abajo. por favor, tengo una familia!" she begged. God Bast hated the begging. Rolling her eyes under her mask she slammed the cleaners head against the wall, dropping her and retreating to Catwoman.

"That way," pointing the two raced down the hall in the attempt to make up the time they had wasted.

The two shared no words as they followed the cleaners instructions. The only sound was the ever so faint _pit pat pit pat _of their feet. When they came upon the elevator they turned left to find the stairwell right where it was meant to be.

"Peeeerfect~" Catwoman purred. Alright she may have taken the Cat in Catwoman a little to far.

Nodding silently the two began their descent down the stairs. Bast, being Cherub, counted 412 steps to the very bottom. Once arriving at the bottom the two were met with-nothing.

There was nothing but an empty space. A few lights overhead, the occasional one flickering, but other than that nothing but empty space.

"Okay, what the hell!" Catwoman growled. Her eyes darting around the room underneath her goggles. Bast simple shrugged her eyes catching movement in the darkness.

A loud CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP was heard echoing from the darkness. "Well done ladies. When I first heard that you where after this little dumpling," A girl with tattered blonde hair was thrown from the darkness, landing in front of Catwoman who rushed to her side. "I was intrigued. What did she do to piss off the grate Catwoman? Then my informants told me that she hadn't pissed you off, but was instead a friend of yours that you want back. Well listen here girly. She stole from me and I caught her. She's mine to do as I please with."

"A person's life belongs to no one," Bast called out into the darkness, her eyes finally picking up on the speaker. He was a man in his late fifties, with dark black hair that was just greying at the sides. His nose was bent at an odd angle, as if it had been broken many times. His eyes where little and black and he wore a fancy dark blue suit with a white undershirt. He was the spitting imagine of the mafia.

"Oh I heard 'bout you girly. 'Bast' Catwomans brand new protégé. HA. I know who you really are kid. The Fallen fucking Cherub!" He screeched the last sentence, foaming at the mouth. "You're lot killed more of my men den I can count. Oh I'm going to enjoy carving you. But first I think I'll let me men have their way with ya," Okay now that was just gross. Bast couldn't help but shudder at his words as a chill crawled up her back. Mobsters. They were all alike. "Boys."

A mass amount of men came rushing form the shadows from behind their boss. Mind you, Bast had spotted them almost as soon as she'd spotted Maroni, but Catwoman didn't appear to have heard a word of the conversation. She was too busy cradling Holly's head in her arms. Bast was alone in this endeavour.

Remembering all her training, Bast bought out two knives she'd picked up in Tibet. She did so love Tibet. They had some of the best blacksmiths in the world. As well as some of the best poisons. And the people of, she loved the people. She had to go back there.

Smiling she launched at the incoming men. As soon as she got a good count, about twenty, she'd calculated the best string of attacks and rushed inwards. Her feet connected to the closest man's teeth rendering him incapable of attacking. 1 down.

As she flew of the first man's face, she thrust her hands out and slashed at two men's throats. Blood began to pool at the ground before they had even dropped. Three down.

She landed, crouched down, butted her head into someone's face while kicking the man behind her in the stomach. Both went down with the pure force she possessed. Five down.

She flipped over one man slashing his throat as she did, landed in a crouch, hit her left boot on the ground in at the very heel, then spun around in a circle slashing at seven different men's legs. Both her boots, which she had refused to change, held razor sharp knives in them. When she hit the heel at a certain spot the blades appeared. Laced with poison. Yeah they were dead. Twelve down. Eight to go.

Sighing she stood in the circle of dead bodies, her shoes coated with their blood. Her eye's danced across the remaining faces. Twenty lives would wend tonight. How many people had she killed already? Seventy? Eighty? Nighty? A hundred? She'd didn't know. (Alright she did know. She just didn't want to think about it.)

The remaining men where less than enthusiastic about attacking the inhuman killing machine. They knew that she'd take them easily. But if they ran, then there'd have to deal with their boss. Better a quick death then what he'd have planned. So they rushed her.

Bast had predicted this and drawn small little knives, no bigger than the middle finger, coated with poison. Taking a deep breath, she rushed them in return. _They _had not been expecting this. She'd barely moved since the fighting started. A few of them halted, but most kept running. Her left boot, which still had the poisoned knife out, hit one square on the chest. She used this force to propel her towards the closest member who she jabbed with a poisoned knife. She back flipped and landed on the shoulders of one of the men before breaking his neck. Five left.

She raced towards the biggest there. He appeared to be ready to catch her and was looking rather confident right up till the moment she slid under his legs, jabbing a poisoned knife as she did. Gasping for a quick breath of air before turned in the last four. No smile played on her face as she stared into their eyes. She wasn't happy about getting this much blood on her hands in such a short time, but it was inevitable.

One rushed her. He was faster than the others, but still slower than her. She dodged his attack fisted her hand in his hair, then slammed his face in the ground hearing the tell-tale _CRACK _of his skull breaking. Then she pulled his head up and hurled him into the guy that was trying to sneak attack her.

As she fasted past him she lodged a knife into the man attempting to push off the large lump that had landed on him. No survivors.

She turned back to Catwoman, who had coxed Holly into continues. Both were staring at Bast, who'd only gained a scrape from sliding along the floor (full body suits god damn it!) and then at the bodies of the eighteen dead men. Which reminded her.

Turning with lightning speed, she threw the last to poison coted knives at the two remaining men. Both lodged right in their necks.

"Catwoman is she okay?" Bast asked as she approached the two.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. Won't you honey?" Catwoman asked as she stroked Holly's cheek.

"Give me a week and I'll be up causing trouble like never before," Holly said grinning. Her smile faulted momentarily when they heard a _Click_.

Bast turned to see Maroni holding a gun to her head.

"As good as they say. Better even. Oh the things I could do with you girl. But alas you're a no good whore of an assassin WHO NEEDS TO DIE!" Maroni shot the gun. Bast dodged.

She raced forward, her feet landing on the ground for only a fraction of a second. She reached him in record time. She'd run out of knives. But he had a gun.

Slamming her hand down in a karate chop, which might I just add is rather effective when used probably and hurts like hell, on his writs which forced him to release the gun, she twisted slamming her foot into him. Mind this was her right foot, and she had not bought her knife out yet. It was the heat of battle, she was thirteen and pumped full of adrenaline let's see how you handle that sort situation, alright?

Her hand snatched the gun before it hit the ground and aimed it at his head.

"Salvatore Maroni by the laws in place by the court of owls, who rule Gotham from a shadowy perch I sentence you to death for your crims," Maroni was a mob boss. He wasn't a goon, he had some brains at least and deserved this fair well.

"The who? No one rules Gotham but me Girly!" He snarled. Okay he may have been lacking in the brains a little.

Shaking her head slowly, she fired the gun. There was a moment of silence before he fell, hitting the ground with a loud _THUMP._

Turning back to Catwoman, she assisted in carrying Holly out. Luckily they ran into no one on their way so Stephanie's kill count didn't rise anymore that night.

The three girls where half way across Gotham when Bast realized that the sun was coming up. Well damn. She was hoping to gain a few hours' sleep before going to meet her contact that would return her to The League.

Picking up their pace, the three girls practically ran back to Selina's apartment. Once they had fiddled with the window ("We can't go in the door Steph, the other tenets will notice!") and dragged their sorry, sore asses in, Stephanie raced off to change into her Eggplant shirt and jeans before grabbing her bad and racing out of the apartment.

"STEPH!" Selina and Holly called before she'd even left the apartment building. Screeching to a halt she rounded on the two girls.

"We just wanted to thank you for the saving my sorry ass," Holly said as she leaned on Selina.

"It's all right. I wouldn't have even bothered if Selina hadn't ambushed me. Now I really must be off mow."

"Wait a moment Steph," Selina said as she leaned Holly against the wall before racing and engulfing Stephanie in a hug. "If you're ever in Gotham, just drop by alright?"

Stephanie stayed silent for a moment before asking the question that had been eating at her all night. "Why do you call me Steph? My names Stephanie, so why?"

Selina raised her perfectly curved eyebrow. "It's a term of endearment. Why don't you like it?"

Endearment? Oh, so she liked Stephanie. Alright that cleared a lot of things up.

"Has no one ever given you a nick name before?"

Stephanie shook her head. The only name she'd been given was Angel when she was younger and that had been an insult.

"Well from Stephanie you get Steph and Stephhie and Annie and many more. But let's stick with Steph for now, alright?"

"Yeah that's fine," Stephanie said as she drew away from Selina. "When I'm in Gotham next time, I'll look you two up. Get better Holly!"

"Hey wait a moment!" Holly called out, but Stephanie kept walking. "Who the hell are the Court of owls?"

Turning her head slightly she yelled out, "Speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send a Talon for your head."

Stephanie left without another word. Next time she was in Gotham she'd say hi to the two. But for now she had to return to her life as an assassin for The League Of Shadows.

And Stephanie had once again gained another two names. Bast and Cherub. She wouldn't be giving them up any time soon either.

Steph out.

Kill count: 99


End file.
